Written Answers Thursday 30 July 2009

Scottish Executive

Animal Welfare

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24922 by Richard Lochhead on 9 July 2009, which organisations have been, or will be, consulted on its forthcoming code of practise on the welfare of dogs.

Richard Lochhead: A list of all organisations consulted was published with the draft code and can be accessed on the Scottish Government web site as follows:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/02/06141322/2.

Crofting

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the consultation period for the draft crofting reform Bill.

Roseanna Cunningham: The government is keen to hear views on the proposals in the draft crofting reform Bill and other constructive suggestions on how crofting legislation might be reformed to ensure a more secure future for crofting. However, it does not propose to extend the consultation period on the draft crofting reform Bill. Generally, the government considers 12 weeks to be sufficient time to allow for responses to be made to public consultations. In the case of the current consultation on crofting reform, the government believes the timescale to be sufficient for the majority of stakeholders. However, where individual organisations specifically request an extension in order to consult members, it will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Dentistry

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists working in the General Dental Service were previously recipients of a bursary from the NHS Dental Bursary Scheme initiated by the previous administration in September 2006.

Shona Robison: There are currently 181 dentists, including vocational trainees, working in General Dental Services in Scotland who were in receipt of a dental bursary.

Dentistry

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists per 1,000 population have taken up post in the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency since June 2008.

Shona Robison: The number of General Dental Service (GDS) dentists per 1,000 population that have taken up post in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency since June 2008 is shown in the table below. The table also shows GDS dentists active in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency at 31 May 2009 per 1,000 population.

  

 Number of GDS dentists started since June 2008
 10


 GDS Dentists per 1,000 population since June 2008
 0.2


 Number of GDS dentists active at 31 May 2009
 20


 GDS Dentists per 1,000 population at 31 May 2009
 0.4


 Estimated population mid-year as at June 2007
 51,522



  Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

  General Registers Office mid-year population estimates as at 30 June 2007.

Dentistry

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve access to orthodontic treatment in Caithness and Sutherland.

Shona Robison: This is a matter for NHS Highland. However, I understand from NHS Highland that the orthodontic service in Caithness is currently staffed by a visiting consulting service which is focusing on the completion of active treatment, and that all new referrals for orthodontic treatment are referred to Raigmore. I further understand that treatment waiting times in Highland have reduced considerably and a review of overall service delivery is to be undertaken, including looking at the options for re-introducing locally delivered orthodontic services for new patients in Caithness.

Drug Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 were admitted to hospitals in the Lothians to receive treatment for drug misuse in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09.

Fergus Ewing: Patients with a drug-related diagnosis may be treated in general acute hospitals or in mental illness hospitals. 2006-07 is the latest year for which information is available on mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units. 2007-08 is the latest year for which complete information is available on general acute hospitals. Data for 2008-09 is not currently available.

  Table 1 presents the number of patients discharged from general acute hospitals with a drug-related diagnosis in NHS Lothian by age group for 2006-07 and 2007-08.

  

 Age Group
 2006-07
 2007-08p


 Under 15
 7
 *


 15-18
 41
 *


 19-21
 59
 63


 Over 21
 610
 591


 Total
 717
 691



  Table 2 presents the number of patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals and mental illness units with a diagnosis of drug misuse in NHS Lothian by age group for 2006-07.

  

 Age Group
 2006-07p


 Under 15
 -


 15-18
 6


 19-21
 16


 Over 21
 134


 Total
 156



  Notes:

  It is possible the same patient could be treated in both settings and they will be counted in each table. These figures should be treated with caution as the record of drug misuse may vary from hospital to hospital.

  * - Indicates values that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure.

  P - Provisional.

Drug Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have had a charge proved in court for supply of drugs offences in each police force area in each year since 2003, broken down by type of drug.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons with a charge proved for supply/intent to supply drugs offences1, by drug type, by police force area, 2003-04 to 2007-08:

  2003-04

  

 Drug Type
 Central
 Dumfries and Galloway
 Fife
 Grampian
 Lothian and Borders
 Northern
 Strathclyde
 Tayside
 Scotland3


 Cannabis 
 18
 11
 15
 14
 19
 17
 90
 15
 199


 Heroin 
 12
 1
 5
 11
 16
 5
 143
 7
 200


 Cocaine 
 1
 -
 -
 4
 1
 1
 3
 2
 12


 Amphetamines 
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1
 1
 7
 1
 10


 Ecstasy 
 -
 4
 -
 4
 6
 5
 41
 5
 65


 Other Class A
 -
 -
 -
 1
 1
 -
 2
 1
 5


 Other Class B
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1
 1
 1
 3


 Other Class C
 -
 1
 3
 -
 -
 2
 52
 -
 58


 Not recorded2
 84
 27
 43
 117
 126
 54
 451
 86
 988


 Total
 115
 44
 66
 151
 170
 86
 790
 118
 1,540



  2004-05

  

 Drug Type
 Central
 Dumfries and Galloway
 Fife
 Grampian
 Lothian and Borders
 Northern
 Strathclyde
 Tayside
 Scotland3


 Cannabis 
 20
 15
 13
 16
 51
 25
 147
 15
 302


 Heroin 
 18
 10
 13
 6
 63
 10
 135
 16
 271


 Cocaine 
 2
 2
 -
 2
 13
 3
 13
 -
 35


 Amphetamines 
 2
 -
 -
 1
 9
 1
 11
 2
 26


 Ecstasy 
 3
 4
 1
 7
 12
 13
 42
 9
 91


 Other Class A
 -
 -
 1
 2
 4
 -
 4
 1
 12


 Other Class B
 -
 -
 1
 -
 2
 -
 5
 -
 8


 Other Class C
 2
 3
 -
 1
 7
 2
 52
 4
 71


 Not recorded2
 50
 26
 34
 134
 133
 37
 364
 100
 878


 Total
 97
 60
 63
 169
 294
 91
 773
 147
 1,694



  2005-06

  

 Drug Type
 Central
 Dumfries and Galloway
 Fife
 Grampian
 Lothian and Borders
 Northern
 Strathclyde
 Tayside
 Scotland3


 Cannabis 
 33
 18
 13
 22
 30
 26
 141
 12
 295


 Heroin 
 15
 22
 13
 24
 41
 7
 151
 14
 287


 Cocaine 
 4
 4
 1
 5
 8
 .
 18
 1
 41


 Amphetamines 
 3
 1
 2
 1
 4
 1
 21
 -
 34


 Ecstasy 
 3
 6
 3
 2
 8
 2
 55
 8
 87


 Other Class A
 -
 -
 1
 1
 -
 2
 8
 -
 12


 Other Class B
 -
 -
 -
 1
 -
 -
 2
 1
 4


 Other Class C
 8
 1
 -
 3
 4
 1
 51
 1
 69


 Not recorded2
 48
 18
 34
 119
 173
 18
 353
 111
 876


 Total
 114
 70
 67
 178
 268
 57
 800
 148
 1,705



  2006-07

  

 Drug Type
 Central
 Dumfries and Galloway
 Fife
 Grampian
 Lothian and Borders
 Northern
 Strathclyde
 Tayside
 Scotland3


 Cannabis 
 29
 16
 11
 24
 41
 27
 134
 12
 294


 Heroin 
 21
 32
 20
 58
 41
 22
 245
 27
 466


 Cocaine 
 7
 8
 3
 20
 10
 2
 67
 3
 120


 Amphetamines 
 6
 3
 4
 2
 9
 5
 31
 -
 60


 Ecstasy 
 6
 5
 2
 3
 7
 7
 50
 6
 86


 Other Class A
 1
 -
 1
 2
 5
 -
 10
 -
 19


 Other Class B
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 5
 1
 6


 Other Class C
 3
 4
 2
 9
 1
 3
 61
 8
 91


 Not recorded2
 22
 2
 20
 71
 118
 30
 208
 91
 562


 Total
 95
 70
 63
 189
 232
 96
 811
 148
 1,704



  2007-08

  

 Drug Type
 Central
 Dumfries and Galloway
 Fife
 Grampian
 Lothian and Borders
 Northern
 Strathclyde
 Tayside
 Scotland3


 Cannabis 
 27
 11
 6
 17
 29
 20
 118
 8
 236


 Heroin 
 30
 25
 27
 60
 63
 27
 228
 21
 481


 Cocaine 
 10
 5
 4
 34
 22
 7
 99
 11
 192


 Amphetamines 
 5
 1
 2
 3
 11
 7
 27
 8
 64


 Ecstasy 
 7
 7
 5
 8
 13
 17
 70
 4
 131


 Other Class A
 1
 -
 1
 2
 1
 1
 14
 1
 22


 Other Class B
 2
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 3
 1
 6


 Other Class C
 10
 5
 -
 7
 5
 4
 63
 2
 96


 Not recorded2
 31
 9
 18
 77
 106
 40
 285
 120
 688


 Total
 123
 63
 63
 208
 250
 123
 907
 176
 1,916



  Source: Scottish Government court proceedings database.

  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Type of drug not recorded against the offence.

  3. Contains a small number of cases where police force is unknown.

Drug Misuse

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the resources needed for the provision of drug treatment to minimise delays between referral, assessment and treatment stages and maintain an applicant’s momentum and, in particular, what action is being taken to increase access to community-based support.

Fergus Ewing: We have increased funding to tackle drug addiction by 13.5%. This brings the total provided for drug treatment and rehabilitation in 2009-10 to £29,998 million. However, it is for health boards and their partners to allocate these resources in order to meet local needs.

  We are introducing a new national HEAT target requiring NHS and NHS-funded services to reduce waiting times for drug treatment services. This will ensure that people with drug problems are able to access services, including community-based support, at the point of need, to support their recovery. We are also drafting guidance on reducing drug treatment waiting times.

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to trace pollution from urban sources.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has statutory responsibility for controlling potential sources of pollution from sites it regulates in urban areas. These include emissions from industrial facilities, sewage treatment works and surface water drainage and waste management activities. SEPA is able to determine the location of environmental emission sources within regulated sites and monitor and assess the accumulative environmental impacts of such emissions. In addition, SEPA’s environmental surveillance monitoring enables it to trace and investigate any unauthorised emissions, together with any potential pollution incidents notified by members of the public.

  Additionally, the Scottish Government assists local authorities to implement their duties under the Environment Act 1995 to review and assess air quality by issuing comprehensive guidance, which can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/waste-and-pollution/Pollution-1/16215/TG09.

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is providing for work to trace pollution from urban sources and how many jobs that funding supports.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) resources and functions are not assigned specifically to either urban or non-urban sources of pollution, therefore the following estimate of costs is very crude.

  Approximately two thirds of SEPA’s activities are associated in some way with the "tracing" of urban pollution, accounting for approximately £53 million and 900 staff. This staffing estimate includes those staff directly involved in the regulation and monitoring of potential urban impacts (such as environment protection officers, legal staff and science staff) and also SEPA’s support service staff such as human resources, admin and finance.

  Local authorities in Scotland receive, as part of the financial support from the Scottish Government, a contribution towards funding of air quality assessment work in their areas. The Scottish Government also provides grant support of about £1.5 million per annum to urban local authorities who have declared air quality management areas under the Environment Act 1995.

Fisheries

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what public benefit is derived from commercial fishing in inshore waters.

Richard Lochhead: Sustainable exploitation of commercial fish stocks in inshore waters contributes to the achievement of the government’s strategic objectives for a wealthier and fairer, as well as a healthier and greener Scotland. It makes a valuable contribution to Scotland’s economy, supports our aim to produce healthy and sustainable food in Scotland and helps to sustain the coastal communities that rely on fishing activity.

Fuel Poverty

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households it intends to supply with energy efficiency measures.

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has made in relation to the roll-out of the of the Energy Assistance Package.

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it estimates will benefit from the insulation measures provided through the Energy Assistance Package.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the energy efficiency of Scotland’s homes to alleviate fuel poverty and help meet our ambitious climate change targets. We have a range of initiatives to support households with this:

  The Energy Assistance Package (EAP) provides a holistic package of support for fuel-poor households. It aims to offer advice to around 75,000 potentially fuel-poor people in the first year. Of this, an estimated 50,000 could be referred for advice on social energy tariffs and a benefits health-check, 30,000 to CERT providers for cavity wall and/or loft insulation and up to 10,000 for enhanced energy efficiency measures at stage 4.

  The Home Insulation Scheme announced in the budget is an intensive area-based approach where every household in the area will be visited and offered an energy assessment and benefit/tariff check (where appropriate) along with insulation measures. The scheme will aim to contact 90,000 households in the first year and will link to the Energy Assistance Package as closely as possible mirroring the various EAP stages.

  The Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme, formerly known as SCHRI, provides funding to householders towards the installation of small scale renewables systems in Scottish homes. This scheme provides grants to householders of up to 30% of the costs of the installation, to a maximum of £4,000. The Energy Saving Trust (EST), who deliver the scheme, hope to pay out 1,000 household grants this year.

  The Energy Saving Scotland Network, also delivered by EST, provides energy efficiency and microgeneration advice to anyone who calls the network. They have a target in place to engage with 220,000 customers in 2009-10.

  The Energy Efficiency Design Awards was launched on 3 February 2009. This offers £1 million in prize money this year and next to generate and encourage the development of novel ideas and solutions to improve energy efficiency in "hard to treat" homes which number around 624,000 in Scotland.

  Proposals for a loan mechanism for investing in domestic energy efficiency measures will come forward later in the year.

General Practitioners

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16160 by Shona Robison on 18 September 2008, whether the annual GP Access Survey has been progressed.

Shona Robison: The annual GP Survey is now complete. The results from this survey were first published on 19 May 2009 with a further publication on 30 June 2009.

  The publication GP Access Survey: Results and Methodology is available at the following link:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/06/30083150/0.

  Further information can also be found at the following web site:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/GPAccessSurveyResults.

General Practitioners

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16160 by Shona Robison on 18 September 2008, whether the 48-hour target for GP practices is being met with regard to the GP Access Survey.

Shona Robison: GP access survey results showed that 90% of patients in Scotland were able to obtain a consultation with an appropriate health professional within two working days, so the 48 hour target is being met at Scotland level.

  Further information, including results for NHS board areas can be found in the publication GP Access Survey: Results and Methodology:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/06/30083150/0.

  Information for individual GP practices is available at the following web site:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/GPAccessSurveyResults.

General Practitioners

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16160 by Shona Robison on 18 September 2008, how the GP Access Survey results have been collected and evaluated.

Shona Robison: A full report on the results and methodology for the GP Access Survey is available on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/06/30083150/0 .

Health

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for inpatient stays for children and young people in hospital for over three months, based on the most recent information available.

Shona Robison: For patients aged between 1 and 17 years, there were 37 acute NHS hospital stays of over 90 days (three months) in the financial year ending 31 March 2008. The main reasons for these stays are summarised in the table below.

  

 Main Diagnosis Category Recorded on Discharge From Hospital
 Number of Hospital Stays


 Neoplasms
 5


 Disorders of the nervous system
 5


 Diseases of the respiratory system (including symptoms and signs)
 5


 Diseases of the circulatory system (including congenital anomalies)
 4


 Diseases of the digestive system
 5


 Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
 5


 Other
 8


 Total
 37

Health

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the children and young people who were in hospital for over three months could have been cared for at home, based on the most recent information available.

Shona Robison: The requested information is not available centrally.

Health

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the children and young people in hospital were there for over three months, based on the most recent information available.

Shona Robison: For patients aged between 1 and 17 years, there were 37 acute NHS hospital stays of over 90 days (three months) in the financial year ending 31 March 2008.

Higher Education

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many graduates who graduated in Scotland in each year since 1999 received their senior school education in the Lothians region.

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of graduates who graduated in Scotland in each year since 1999 received a senior school education in the Lothians Region.

Fiona Hyslop: Information on the previous institution of study prior to attending higher education (HE) is collected by both the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) - for those doing HE at higher education institutions, and Scottish Funding Council - for those doing HE at colleges. However not all higher education institutions provide this information to HESA and as such the resulting data is of insufficient quality to provide a robust measurement of the number and proportion of graduates who received their senior school education in the Lothians region.

  Three thousand, one hundred and fifty five of those graduating from a higher education institution with a first degree in Scotland in 2007-08 (15 per cent of all graduates in Scotland) lived in the Lothians region prior to entering higher education. It is likely this number and proportion of graduates will be similar to the number and proportion who attended a secondary school in the Lothians region prior to entering a higher education institution.

International Development

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations received funding from its International Development Fund in 2008-09, broken down by organisation, amount awarded and purpose of award.

Michael Russell: The funding awarded from the International Development Fund in 2008-09, broken down by organisation, amount awarded and purpose of award is set out in the following table:

  Malawi Development Programme New Projects

  

 Organisation
Amount (2008-09)
 Purpose


 University of St Andrews
£102,000.00
To work with the Malawi College of Medicine to increase the College’s capacity through the development of a revised curriculum.


 Moffat Centre
£73,500.00
To build upon previous Scottish Government-funded activity with the Malawi Institute of Tourism to develop the Malawian tourism sector by improving the quality of training and education in food production and service in Malawi.


 Stenhouse Primary School
£63,500.00
To work with educational staff in Malawi, to build their capacity and address the constraints faced by women and girls in the primary education system.


 Scotland Malawi Business Group
£12,835.00 
 To build upon previous Scottish Government funded activity and develop local ability to build the capacity of small, private enterprises in Malawi.


 Imani Enterprise
£148,000.00
To assist with continued sustainable business growth in Malawi through targeted export and policy development.


 The Global Concerns Trust
£13,450.00 
To deliver vocational training for adults with disabilities by providing courses in carpentry and tailoring.


 Equal Exchange
£78,763.00
To build upon previous Scottish Government funded activity and strengthen the development of smallholder Macadamia organisations across the country with capacity to produce Macadamia nuts at commercial quality and quantities. 


 The INSP Foundation
£36,700.00
To provide training and employment opportunities for over 750 homeless or slum dwelling young people through the production and sale of Malawi’s first-ever street paper. 


 Scottish Agricultural College
£59,534.00
To empower smallholder dairy farmers through knowledge transfer activities such as training workshops and demonstrations on the critical aspects of dairy production that currently limit productivity. 


 Malawi Tomorrow
£40,567.00
To continue to promote equality in education for blind and visually impaired students by providing access to Braille literacy in six Education Divisions across Malawi.


 Inverclyde Council Education Services
£7,000.00
To deliver training and workshop sessions for local teaching staff using participative, enterprising approaches to learning and teaching, which will also promote gender equality, raise girls’ attainment and establish active pupil councils in participating schools.


 University of Edinburgh
£79,320.00
To continue to work with the Malawi College of Medicine to modernise the College’s medical programme through the use of e-learning and the sharing and building of electronic teaching resources and IT systems.


 Scottish International Relief
£133,330.00
To continue to work towards eradicating extreme poverty and hunger through an expanded school feeding program, distributing food to school children through local volunteers.


 Scottish Churches World Exchange
£76,442.00
To increase the number of young people who receive training in leadership skills, particularly in skills relevant to outdoor tourism at Likhubula House.


 Opportunity International
£250,635.00
To continue to enable people living in poverty in Northern Malawi to achieve sustainable livelihoods by improving access to, and encouraging the uptake of, financial facilities.


 Tearfund Scotland
£99,050.00
 To extend child care services to vulnerable children who have come into conflict with the law, working with representatives of the court, legal, social work and police services, as well as the children and their families. 


 Oxfam Scotland
£112,150.00
To work with local communities to assist the most vulnerable people affected by HIV in the Chiradzulu District to develop sustainable livelihoods, and to exercise their rights in gaining access to appropriate health services.


 University of Strathclyde
£60,904.00
To pilot the installation of four community solar energy systems to establish a best practice and sustainable model for social and economic development in rural communities. 


 Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
£143,415.00
To contribute to building sustainable livelihoods at village level, through agricultural improvements and renewable energy from ethical biofuels. 


 Scottish Police College
£20,427.00
To work with the Malawian Police Service to determine what training is required to deliver community policing in Malawi. 


 Deaf Action
£15,228.00
To develop courses in Malawi Sign Language to the approved Qualifications Framework level and begin to rollout training in basic level MSL to service providers in health, education/training, information and justice. 


 Link Community Development Scotland
£24,654.00
To address the critical problem of high drop out rates and low learner attainment, particularly among girls, in Malawian primary schools. 


 Concern Worldwide
£66,140.00
To deliver training and build capacity to support effective co-ordination among local partners, health workers and community members to identify, refer and treat children with severe malnutrition and to prevent malnutrition over the longer term. 


 The Active Learning Centre
£38,500.00
To work with partners in Malawi to increase women’s rights and develop the practical skills required for successful advocacy. 


 Christian Aid
£102,800.00
To work with partners in Malawi to raise awareness of the issues surrounding HIV, with a particular focus on young people, through youth-led theatre, music and performance art and the production of related materials.


 University of the West of Scotland
£147,000.00
To design and develop a multi-professional skills facility in Blantyre, Malawi. Through the use of clinical simulation equipment and expertise, the College will offer a range of learning and teaching approaches to meet the needs of healthcare professionals.


 Challenges Worldwide
£20,743.00
To work with the Malawi Law Society to identify priority areas for the delivery of a structured programme of legal support to a range of legal organisations in Malawi.


 Waverley Care
£114,879.00
To increase the inclusiveness, quality and access to youth friendly sexual reproductive health services for vulnerable and young people in Malawi. 


 University of Strathclyde
£121,209.00
To provide IT technologies to blind and visually impaired learners in primary and secondary schools across Malawi and train staff in the new technologies and delivery mechanisms.


 Adam Smith College
£130,800.00
This project will build upon the success of previous Scottish Government funded activity through Adam Smith College. The College will provide a framework to help develop a college curriculum to increase the transition of young people into employment and enterprise. 


 Sense Scotland
£34,937.00
 This project will build on the work of the currently funded Deaf Action Project to increase the number of Deaf and Deaf-blind children accessing school, community and peripatetic education services by increasing the number of courses available. 


 University of Strathclyde
£63,193.00
To build on an existing successful project in the Chikwawa District to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. 


 Stirling University
£241,100.00
The project will build on a previously successful Scottish Government funded project to provide training on the business and technical skills required to encourage and enable entrepreneurship in aquaculture, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and food security. 


 Tearfund
£112,800.60 
This project will work to empower girls in the Karonga-Iponga area to protect themselves against various forms of abuse and exploitation which force them to drop out of school and leave them vulnerable to HIV and AIDS. 


 The Healthy Lifestyle Project 
£50,000.00
 Scottish teachers and health professionals will assist their Malawian partners to encourage, inspire, motivate and empower more girls to access and successfully complete their education. 


 The Church of Scotland World Mission
£265,405.00
To work with Nkhoma Synod and the Malawi Ministry of Health to decrease maternal mortality in the Nathenje area by increasing community awareness of maternal health and empowering women to access health services.


 Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) Scotland
£110,000.00
To reduce maternal mortality by providing internationally accredited training in emergency obstetric skills for health professionals.


 Christian Blind Mission
£75,800.00
To build on a previously successful project and work with the Malawi College of Health Sciences and other partners to build the capacity for specialist eye care services in Malawi through the support of Scottish hospitals.


 Total
£3,346,710.60
 



  Malawi Development Programme Existing Projects

  

 Organisation
Amount (2008-09)
 Purpose


 Bell College 
£13,000.00
 To transfer technological expertise to primary healthcare in rural Malawi. Year three of project.


 Bell College
£20,089.00
 To develop acute care skills at Kamuzu College of Nursing and the College of Health Sciences. Year three of project. 


 Bell College 
£8,000.00
 To develop a support program for newly qualified practitioners at Kamuzu Central Hospital and Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe during the first year of employment. Year three of project. 


 Commonwealth Local Government Forum 
£69,000.00
 To work with MALGA (Malawi Association of Local Government Authorities) and their counterparts from Zambia, in order to develop and strengthen the knowledge base and capacity of MALGA. Year three of project.


 Dundee School of Medicine, Nursing and Midwifery
£5,000.00
 To develop partnership links between Dundee University Medical School and Healthcare Institutions in Malawi. Year three of project.


 EMMS International 
£47,743.00
 To improve the quality of life of people in Mulanje by enabling them to identify and solve their own problems in the areas of health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS Control. Year three of project.


 Equal Exchange 
£60,778.00
To develop smallholder Macadamia organisations across the country with the capacity to produce Macadamia nuts at commercial quality and quantities. Year two of two-year project.


 The INSP Foundation
£31,465.00
 To create sustainable employment and development opportunities through the production of street papers in Zambia, Ethiopia and Namibia.


 Institute for International Health and Development, Queen Margaret College
£57,000.00
 To support health management capacity building in Malawi. Year three of three-year project.


 International Community Trust for Health and Educational Services (ICTHES)
£53,250.00
 To raise the standard by Saving Lives, Reducing Unnecessary Suffering and raising the Standard of Healthcare


 Scottish Catholic International Aid Foundation (SCIAF)
£40,212.00
 To improve Income Generation and Health Support for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.


 Scottish Catholic International Aid Foundation (SCIAF)
£35,000.00
 To provide direct educational support and learning resources to 24 primary and four secondary schools in the region of Kajokeji, Sudan.


 Scotland’s Buddhist Vihara
£9,524.00
 To alleviate the side effect of the family breakdown as a result of the Tsunami. In particular, the assistance of single-parent families creating more solid ground for the children in these families who can be exploited for commercial or military reasons.


 Tearfund Scotland 
£64,102.00
 To work with the Chisomo Children’s Club in Blantyre, Malawi. Chisomo aims to bring about long term change in the lives of girls and boys aged 14 and under who are living or begging on the streets. Year three of project.


 University of Glasgow
£52,280.00
 To contribute to capacity building, through the exchange of knowledge and skills, to support and enhance sustainable development by promoting advanced training in environmental management and sustainability.


 The Scotland Malawi Partnership Higher Education project 
£62,295.00
 To facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise between Scottish and Malawian practitioners in Higher Education. Year three of project.


 Westgate Medical Centre 
£31,000.00
 To initiate twinning between Malawian Clinics and Scottish General practices. Year three of project.


 The Moffat Centre 
£72,400.00
 To establish an Infrastructure and Staff Development Programme with the Malawi Institute of Tourism. Year three of funding.


 Adam Smith College
£190,000.00
 To equip and empower the senior staff of the Malawi Vocational Colleges to increase their effectiveness, through the development of Leadership, Management and Quality assurance capacity. Year two of two-year project. 


 Scotland Malawi Business Group
£91,647.00
To develop local ability to build the capacity of small, private enterprises in Malawi. Year two of two-year project.


 Total
£1,013,785.00
 



  Sub Saharan Africa Development Programme 2008-11

  

 Organisation
Amount (2008-09)
 Purpose


 Opportunity International
£250,000.00
 To increase access to financial services for the poorer members of society in Tanzania, particularly those who are normally excluded from formal financial services.


 Scottish Catholic International Aid Foundation (SCIAF)
£239,038.00
Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) to work with partners in Zambia to support improved food security and household incomes whilst working with communities to build their resilience to climate change.


 Concern Worldwide
£266,960.00
Concern Worldwide will work to reduce the morbidity and mortality of children under five with acute malnutrition in Rwanda.


 Tearfund
£100,000.00
Tearfund will integrate food security, nutrition and public health to deliver a holistic solution for meeting the basic needs of local and displaced people in the Ed Daein region of Darfur.


 Total
£855,998.00
 



  Networking Support

  

 Organisation
Amount (2008-09)
 Purpose


 Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS)
£28,962.00
 To provide networking support.


 Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP) 
£48,690.00
 To provide networking support.


 Total
£77,652.00
 



  Fairtrade Scotland

  

 Organisation
Amount (2008-09)
 Purpose


 Scottish Fairtrade Foundation 
£80,000.00
 To support and promote Scotland’s contribution to Fair Trade with developing countries as a responsible nation in the world.


 Total
£80,000.00
 



  Humanitarian Assistance

  

 Organisation
Amount (2008-09)
 Purpose


 Christian Aid Scotland
£85,000.00
 To work closely with the Palestinian Agricultural relief Committees, to identify 2,500 families across the Gaza strip and provide them with dry food baskets.


 Oxfam Scotland
£85,000.00
 To provide safe drinking water for 50,000 people and reduce the public health threat posed by the damaged sewage infrastructure.


 Islamic Relief Worldwide
£75,000.00
 To support local communities in their efforts to remove demolition debris and solid waste from the main streets and will create 100 jobs for unskilled workers for a period of two months. 


 Save the Children
£75,000.00
 To provide food supplies and assistance for malnourished children, and support maternal and child health in clinics and hospitals, as well as through mobile clinic work and home visits for mothers and babies.


 Medical Aid for Palestinians
£38,998.00
 To complement wider food aid and hygiene programmes by delivering hygiene and nutritional kits to families with children under five, or young adults with disabilities to meet the families’ nutritional needs and help halt the spread of disease. 


 Christian Blind Mission
£38,998.00
 To enable injured children to be identified and referred to a specialist hospital in the West Bank for a six month period where they will receive treatment, rehabilitation and counselling. 


 Edinburgh Direct Aid
£21,000.00
 To work in partnership with the Palestine Medical Relief Society (PMRS), Edinburgh Direct Aid will provide essential medical aid and supplies to the Jabliyeh area of Gaza. 


 Glasgow the Caring City
£9,000.00
 To provide emergency frontline medical supplies allowing a team of medical staff to provide emergency assistance on the front line in Gaza.


 Mercy Corps
£100,000.00
 To provide emergency water, sanitation and hygiene services for families hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Rutshuru and Magengo on the periphery of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 


 Christian Blind Mission
£50,000.00
 To provide relief and support to IDPs and their host families in Butembo, with an emphasis on the specialist needs of those with disabilities who are often neglected in humanitarian relief efforts. 


 Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF)
£50,000.00
 To purchase and distribute household commodities, including water containers to 25,000 families.


 Total
£627,996.00

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to restore wildlife habitats in rivers.

Roseanna Cunningham: The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to control all impacts on the water environment with the aim of achieving good ecological status for water bodies by 2015. The directive introduced river basin management plans (RBMPs) to manage our water environment. These are required to set out the environmental pressures and what can be done to address them. This includes steps to restore impacts on river habitats. Draft RBMPs for the Solway Tweed river basin districts have now been consulted on, and SEPA will publish both RBMPs in December 2009.

  The draft RBMPs are available on the SEPA website at:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is providing for work to restore wildlife habitats in rivers and how many jobs that funding supports.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government currently funds improvements to water quality and river habitats through a number of funding streams, to deliver the objectives of the river basin management plans. These funding streams include the Scottish Rural Development Programme, a restoration fund managed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and natural flood management demonstration work.

  There is no information held centrally on how many jobs such funding might directly support.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to restore and protect wetlands.

Roseanna Cunningham: The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to control all impacts on the water environment with the aim of achieving good ecological status for water bodies by 2015. The directive introduced river basin management plans (RBMPs) to manage our water environment. These are required to set out the environmental pressures and what can be done to address them. This includes steps to restore and protect wetlands. Draft RBMPs for the Solway Tweed river basin districts have now been consulted on, and SEPA will publish both RBMPs in December 2009.

  The draft RBMPs are available on the SEPA website at:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is providing for work to restore and protect wetlands and how many jobs that funding supports.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government currently funds improvements to wetlands through a number of funding streams, to deliver the objectives of the river basin management plans. These funding streams include the Scottish Rural Development Programme, a restoration fund managed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and natural flood management demonstration work.

  There is no information held centrally on how many jobs such funding might directly support.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to research the causes of river pollution.

Roseanna Cunningham: The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to control all impacts on the water environment with the aim of achieving good ecological status for water bodies by 2015. The directive introduced river basin management plans (RBMPs) to manage our water environment. These are required to set out the environmental pressures and what can be done to address them. This includes steps to identify and address causes of river pollution. Draft RBMPs for the Solway Tweed river basin districts have now been consulted on, and SEPA will publish both RBMPs in December 2009.

  The draft RBMPs are available on the SEPA website at:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is providing for work to research the causes of river pollution and how many jobs that funding supports.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government currently funds strategic research into enhancing water quality through the Scottish Rural Development Programme, to deliver the objectives of the Water Framework Directive river basin management plans. This research includes aspects of catchment management, understanding sources and movement of diffuse pollution, impacts of geomorphology and engineering upon water bodies, and adaptation of water resource management to respond to the pressures associated with climate change.

  The Scottish Government is also funding research on agriculture and biodiversity, aiming to minimise the environmental impacts (including diffuse pollution) of crop and livestock systems. This research also addresses the integration of land and water management for flood alleviation, impacts of climate change, nitrogen deposition and land management on the biodiversity of wetlands.

  There is no information held centrally on how many jobs such funding might directly support.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve river routes to help fish migrate.

Roseanna Cunningham: The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to control all impacts on the water environment with the aim of achieving good ecological status for water bodies by 2015. The directive introduced river basin management plans (RBMPs) to manage our water environment. These are required to set out the environmental pressures and what can be done to address them. This includes steps to improve fish migration. Draft RBMPs for the Solway Tweed river basin districts have now been consulted on, and SEPA will publish both RBMPs in December 2009.

  The draft RBMPs are available on the SEPA website at:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is providing for work to improve river routes to help fish migrate and how many jobs that funding supports.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government currently funds improvements to rivers through a number of funding streams, to deliver the objectives of the river basin management plans. These funding streams include the Scottish Rural Development Programme, a restoration fund managed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, funding to fisheries boards and trusts and natural flood management demonstration work.

  There is no information held centrally on how many jobs such funding might directly support.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to help ensure that rivers and lakes adapt to the effects of climate change.

Roseanna Cunningham: The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to control all impacts on the water environment with the aim of achieving good ecological status for water bodies by 2015. The directive introduced river basin management plans (RBMPs) to manage our water environment. These are required to set out the environmental pressures and what can be done to address them. This includes steps to mitigate the effects of climate change on rivers and lakes. Draft RBMPs for the Solway Tweed river basin districts have now been consulted on, and SEPA will publish both RBMPs in December 2009.

  The draft RBMPs are available on the SEPA website at:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx.

Rural Development

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is providing for work to help ensure that rivers and lakes adapt to the effects of climate change and how many jobs that funding supports.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government currently funds strategic research into enhancing water quality through the Scottish Rural Development Programme, to deliver the objectives of the Water Framework Directive river basin management plans. This research includes aspects of catchment management, understanding sources and movement of diffuse pollution, impacts of geomorphology and engineering upon water bodies, and adaptation of water resource management to respond to the pressures associated with climate change.

  The Scottish Government is also funding research on agriculture and biodiversity, aiming to minimise the environmental impacts (including diffuse pollution) of crop and livestock systems. This research also addresses the integration of land and water management for flood alleviation, impacts of climate change, nitrogen deposition and land management on the biodiversity of wetlands.

  There is no information held centrally on how many jobs such funding might directly support.

Swimming Pools

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the two-year refurbishment work being undertaken at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh and how it is being funded.

Shona Robison: The estimated cost of the two-year refurbishment of the Royal Commonwealth Pool is £37.5 million and is being funded by City of Edinburgh Council, with a £5 million contribution from the Scottish Government via sportscotland.

Teachers

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of public (a) primary and (b) secondary schools has no men on the teaching staff.

Fiona Hyslop: In the September 2008 teacher census 40 per cent of publicly-funded primary schools, accounting for 29 per cent of pupils, have no men on the teaching staff. There are no publicly-funded secondary schools without men on the teaching staff.

Young People

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20470 by Fiona Hyslop on 19 February 2009, how many young people were not in education, employment or training in the last year for which information is available.

Fiona Hyslop: The Annual Population Survey is the official source for national estimates of the numbers of people aged 16 to 19 who were not in education, employment or training. In 2008, 31,000 people aged 16 to 19 were not in education, employment or training.

  We are committed to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training through our More Choices More Chances strategy, with a top priority being to help them stay in learning post-16 in order to improve their long-term employability.

  We’re doing this by rolling out 16+ Learning Choices, formally launched in November, with the aim of giving every young person an appropriate offer of post-16 learning and support. The key to this is ensuring that young people get high quality careers information, advice and guidance so that they can make informed choices about the types of learning and training suitable for them well before reaching their school leaving age and at subsequent transition points.

  We have also recently announced an extra £28.1 million investment in our colleges, including £16.1 million which will deliver thousands of extra places during the next two years to help meet the additional demand for college courses from young people during the downturn.

Young People

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20470 by Fiona Hyslop on 19 February 2009, how many young people were not in education, employment or training and in need of additional support to be able to move into learning or employment in the last year for which information is available.

Fiona Hyslop: All young people are entitled to support in moving into positive and sustained destinations beyond school. We are doing this by rolling out 16+ Learning Choices, formally launched in November, with the aim of giving every young person an appropriate offer of post-16 learning and support.

  Data are not held centrally on the number of young people not in education, employment or training who are in need of additional support to be able to move into learning or employment.